This copper beauty caught my eye in the hardware store the other week, with its palm-able egg shape and handsome fluting. It shone out from the toilet part of the aisle, alongside its plain toilet-part cousins like valves and flush handles. For my fellow non-plumbers, it’s a ballcock and I kid you not, it was invented by Thomas Crapper.

Potty jokes aside, it seemed a glamorous and unlikely candidate for a craft makeover, especially priced at $6.99. Cutting the top off and gluing it to the bottom made it into a choose-your-own-adventure vessel: pen holder, vase, or planter. You can follow along with photos and instructions here.

I think it’s also a great candidate for a lamp or birdhouse. So stay tuned for more ballcock adventures. And yes, you're right. I am a juvenile. I can't stop saying ballcock.